Over the last few weeks, the Nationals have been playing bad baseball. The results are bad, and the Nationals have not been playing fundamentally sound baseball. They have been running into outs on the basepaths and giving away outs in the field. For a team and coaching staff that prides itself on doing ‘the little things’ right, they have made many mental mistakes.
Nationals Not Playing Good Fundamental Baseball
The Defense
For most of the season, defense has not been a big problem for the Nationals, but it has been atrocious lately. They are now tied for second in baseball in errors and have made 9 errors in the last 6 games. The defensive woes came to the forefront on Sunday when they were generously charged with 3 errors. They were stabbing at balls, and paying little attention to the details. Manager Davey Martinez called the performance “awful“. However, this was not a fluky performance but the culmination of weeks of sloppy play. CJ Abrams has had a tough time defensively and is not alone. Jose Tena has been outstanding with the bat but has already made 6 errors in 17 starts at third base. Mitchell Parker has made 5 errors in 12 fielding chances as a pitcher. It has not been pretty lately.
The Baserunning
The Nationals baserunning has been a double edged sword all season. They lead the league in stolen bases with 187, but it has come at a cost. They have been caught stealing 17 more times than any other team in baseball. It seems like the Nationals make an out on the basepaths almost every game. It is not just getting caught stealing. They are getting picked off or getting out, making some sort of mental mistake at an extraordinary rate. This culminated in a bizarre 8-6-2-3-2-5-4 double play against the Yankees. It was a crescendo of mental errors that nearly cost the Nationals the game.
The Nationals aggressive baserunning has been part of the teams identity this season, but it has been harming them more than helping recently. A team that does not have a lot of power cannot be giving away outs like the Nationals are. The rest of the league has adjusted to the Nationals aggressive baserunning, and they need to make their own adjustment.
The Coaching Staff
Not all of the blame can go on the players. They are the ones on the field, but the coaching staff needs to be better too. Since it was announced the whole coaching was coming back, the Nationals have been getting even more sloppy. The coaches are supposed to instill the fundamentals into the players. On that crazy double play, third base coach Ricky Gutierrez was seen turning his back in disgust while the play was still going on. He was not doing his job, plain and simple. This coaching staff has been given plenty of time. 2025 should be a make-or-break year for this staff.
The Nationals need to make progress in 2025; to do that, they need to do the little things well. Playing fundamentally sound baseball needs to be a priority for the Nationals heading into next season.
Main Photo Credits: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY SPORTS
